<p> Triple world champion Sebastian Vettel set the fastest lap in Spanish Grand Prix practice on Friday with Ferrari's local favourite Fernando Alonso a close second to split the Red Bull drivers. </p>.<p>With sunshine replacing the morning's drizzle, when Alonso was top of the timesheets with a largely meaningless lap of one minute 25.252 seconds on a drying track, Vettel produced a quickest time of 1:22.808. Alonso was second, 0.017 slower, with Australian Mark Webber third with a best lap of 1:22.891. </p>.<p>Qualifying has been critical at the Circuit de Catalunya in the past, with 18 of 22 winners there to date starting on pole position and all but one -- Michael Schumacher from third in 1996 -- from the front row of the grid. <br /><br />McLaren's Jenson Button failed to set a lap time in the damp first session, with the team opting for caution in the knowledge that they have a limited number of spares for their new aerodynamic upgrade package. </p>.<p>The 2009 world champion was 12th after lunch with a best effort of 1:24.306 while Mexican team-mate Sergio Perez lapped in 1:24.854. <br /><br />"We've got enough parts for two cars, but we're limited on spares so we'd like to avoid crashing or going into gravel," explained McLaren sporting director Sam Michael. <br />Plans to provide more track action in the first session by giving drivers an extra set of prototype long-lasting hard tyres were stymied by the weather, with leaden skies and drizzle replacing Friday's sunshine. <br /><br />Felipe Massa was just behind his team-mate in 1:25.455 in a Ferrari one-two in that session and was fifth in the afternoon with Lotus’ Kimi Raikkonen -- a previous winner in Barcelona with McLaren and Ferrari -- fourth. Vettel is the overall championship leader who is 10 points clear of Raikkonen after winning two of four races so far. <br /></p>
<p> Triple world champion Sebastian Vettel set the fastest lap in Spanish Grand Prix practice on Friday with Ferrari's local favourite Fernando Alonso a close second to split the Red Bull drivers. </p>.<p>With sunshine replacing the morning's drizzle, when Alonso was top of the timesheets with a largely meaningless lap of one minute 25.252 seconds on a drying track, Vettel produced a quickest time of 1:22.808. Alonso was second, 0.017 slower, with Australian Mark Webber third with a best lap of 1:22.891. </p>.<p>Qualifying has been critical at the Circuit de Catalunya in the past, with 18 of 22 winners there to date starting on pole position and all but one -- Michael Schumacher from third in 1996 -- from the front row of the grid. <br /><br />McLaren's Jenson Button failed to set a lap time in the damp first session, with the team opting for caution in the knowledge that they have a limited number of spares for their new aerodynamic upgrade package. </p>.<p>The 2009 world champion was 12th after lunch with a best effort of 1:24.306 while Mexican team-mate Sergio Perez lapped in 1:24.854. <br /><br />"We've got enough parts for two cars, but we're limited on spares so we'd like to avoid crashing or going into gravel," explained McLaren sporting director Sam Michael. <br />Plans to provide more track action in the first session by giving drivers an extra set of prototype long-lasting hard tyres were stymied by the weather, with leaden skies and drizzle replacing Friday's sunshine. <br /><br />Felipe Massa was just behind his team-mate in 1:25.455 in a Ferrari one-two in that session and was fifth in the afternoon with Lotus’ Kimi Raikkonen -- a previous winner in Barcelona with McLaren and Ferrari -- fourth. Vettel is the overall championship leader who is 10 points clear of Raikkonen after winning two of four races so far. <br /></p>